What makes something newsworthy

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Just as individual audience members have access to so much news that they need to decide what kind of information they want to consume and how they access it , news outlets must decide which events are worth covering and which events are not. Although every outlet is different, mass media gatekeepers have traditionally relied on some predictable values to evaluate the newsworthiness of a story.

Their decisions impact if and how any given story is covered, including how many resources are spent following the story, and how prominently the story is featured.

The following is a brief overview of two conceptual news values models that journalists continue to use today to evaluate the newsworthiness of potential stories. Gatlung and Ruge developed the first model in and Shoemaker et al. The more of these news values a story satisfies, the more likely you are to see it prominently featured in mass media outlets. A story doesn't have to have ALL these features to be considered newsworthy, but every newsworthy story has at least one or two. Keep this list handy next time you're pitching.

When you know what journalists are looking for in a great news story you can tailor your pitch to emphasise these elements and increase your chances of success. We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. For more, here's our Privacy Policy. What is newsworthy?

Here are some of the qualities of a newsworthy story. Timing One of the most important features of a newsworthy story is timing. Proximity Most people find news and events that happen in close proximity more relevant and interesting than those taking place a long way away. What is newsworthy powerpoint 2. How to Create Newsworthy Content.

How to write newsworthy articles. What is News? Traditional Journalism Basics. What is news? Elements of Newsworthiness. What makes a news story newsworthy. How to write for the media. Related Books Free with a 30 day trial from Scribd. Related Audiobooks Free with a 30 day trial from Scribd.

Empath Up! Views Total views. Actions Shares. No notes for slide. What makes something newsworthy 1. And I doubt they would have bothered sending a press release to the radio stations at the next town because the reach of the story its proximity was limited.

Proximity is all about understanding the impact of your news story for a given audience. It happens all the time. There was nothing bizarre about the fire engine story. Nor did it have any elements of conflict, currency or human interest — the final three news values were about to get to.

It can still be newsworthy — you just have to be aware of where your story is strong and play those strengths up. Think about the way political news is reported. Well, part of the reason it seems like they can never agree is because the stuff they do agree on is boring. Instead, they watch cable news. It engages us emotionally, as we get to judge the merits of the arguments, judge those who are wrong and get our righteous agreement jollies by nodding vigorously along with those we agree with.

To me, many content marketers could do more with conflict as a news value.